According to the British Council, roughly two thirds of the world’s population speak only one language. But the stats flip when you zoom out to the global picture, where over half of humanity juggles two languages or more.
This is why multilingual multitaskers might already know the secret we’re about to reveal.
You’ve probably felt the flick that happens when you switch tongues, and suddenly you’re bolder, softer, funnier, or blunter.
Same brain. Same body. Different feeling.
So, what’s going on?
Do Different Languages Make You a Different Person?
Kind of, yes. And here’s the scientific evidence…
A group of bilingual Spanish-English speakers were asked the exact same questions in each language. They described themselves differently, depending on which language they used to answer.
Moreover, people often come across as more outgoing, breezier, and more open in their second language.
The academic term for this is cultural frame switching. It means a new language plugs you into both a different vocabulary and a different emotional operating system.
“Cultural frame switching (CFS) can be used to describe the switching of different language use depending on the context,” explained researchers at the University of Granada in their study The Effect of Sociolinguism on Advertising Slogans: Language as a Conveyor of Cultural Characteristics
“Thus, CFS can be connected to cultural accommodation, which occurs when bilinguals respond to situations with the language that applies best to the situation they find themselves in.”
Fascinating stuff.
Why Your Native and Secondary Languages Impact Differently
Interestingly, your first and second languages subconsciously influence you in different ways. For example:
- Your first language is soaked in memory, emotion, and years of both positive and negative baggage.
- A second language creates a bit of breathing room and acts as a buffer between you and your feelings.
- The distance of a second language is often why it’s easier to say hard stuff in another language, like “I’m sorry,” “I love you,” or “I’m furious with you.”
New Language, New Soul
There’s an old saying about learning a new language and gaining a new soul. But ultimately, the influence is less poetic and more neuroscientific.
At la Academia, we look forward to seeing which version of you shows up in your second language. And there’s only one way to find out.
Get in touch about the new beginners’ courses in different languages starting in September. And prepare to unleash the hidden depths you never knew you possessed.